Combined step and stool



Oct. 11, 1960 Filed Dec. 22, 1958 I III I I I I I 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 I I I I Q I aa aa I aa\ INVENTOR HAROLD l4/. CRAMER ATTORNEYS Oct. 11, 1960 H. w. CRAMER I I 2,955,645

COMBINED STEP AND STOOL 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Dec. 22, 1958 INVENTOR ATTORNEY-5 United States Patent 2355,6 15 COMBINED STEP AND STOOL ilarold W. Crarner, Hickman Mills, M0. (625 Adams St., Kansas City 6, Kans.)

Filed Dec. 22, 1958, set. No. 782,165 4' Claims. (Cl. 155-42 This invention relates to an article of furniture and more particularly to a combined step and stool which is especially adaptable for use in the home, office or store. An important object of the invention is to provide a novel unitary step and stool article which is readily rollable on they floor to a desired position for use and character which includes a base member provided with a plurality of supporting casters or rollers for ease in rolling the device along the floor, the casters being readily collapsible to allow the base to friction-ally grip the floor when the user steps on the device.

, -A further object is to provide in an article of the above type, a novel step or stool member which is mounted on the top of the base, the top of the step being of novel configuration which. materially facilitates stepping up and down when the article is used as a step or ladder.

. A still further object is to provide a device of the foregoing character which is of sturdy construction, pleasing appearance and capable of ready manufacture at an economical cost.

The above arrdother objects and novel features of the invention will appear more fully hereinafter from a consideration of the following detailed description of the invention when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein one embodiment of the invention is illustrated. -It is to be expressly understood however, that the drawings are utilized for purposes of illustration only and are not to be taken as a definition of the limits of the invention, reference being bad for this purpose to the appended claims.

In the drawings, wherein similar reference characters refer to similar parts throughout the several views:

Fig. l is a front view of a combined step and stool constructed in accordance with the principles of the present invention;

(Fig. 2 is a top view of the step and stool of Fig.1;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary view partly in section of a portion of the base of the step and stool;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged side view of one of the collapsible casters which are employed for supporting the step and stool for rolling action; and

Fig. 5 is a top view of the caster of Fig. 4.

Referring more particularly to Figs. 1 and 2, the combined step and stool of the present invention is illustrated therein as comprising a hollow substantially cylindrical base and a top 12, the latter having a flat upper step or seating surface 14 and also having three legs 16, 18 and 20, the lower portions of which are suitably secured to the flat top or upper surface 22 of the base 10 in any suitable manner as by screws 24. Preferably the base 10 is of frusto-conical form and is provided with a constantial width is suitably secured to the side wall 33 ofthe base to avoid marring or scratching articles of furniture.

In order that the combined step and stool may be readily rolled to its position for use, the base is rollably supported by a plurality of rollers or casters 34 illustrated more particularly in Figs. 4 and 5. One of the features of the invention resides in the use of collapsible casters which are of such construction that they readily collapse when a relatively slight pressure is applied to the base or top, thus enabling the base bumper to contact and frictionally grip the floor to ensure stability. As shown, each caster includes a wheel 36 and the usual supporting bracket 38 which is slidably supported on a stem 40. The latter at its upper end is slideably received in a sleeve 42 which may be formed from a strap support provided with flanges 46, 48 which are suitably secured as by welding to the inner surface of the side wall 33 in such position that the caster wheels 36 normally project a slight distance below the base bumper 26, see Fig. 1. As shown, a'spring 50 is confined between the sleeve 42 and a washer 52 positioned on top of the bracket 38, and the parts are maintained in the position shown as by means of nuts or other suitable abutments 54 and 56 secured to the ends of the stem 40. The combined strengths of the springs 50 are such that the article is supported on the caster wheels 36 in the manner shown in Fig. 1 for ready rolling action about the floor. However, upon the application of a relatively light pressure to the article, the casters 34 compress the springs 50 sufficiently to enable the base bumper 26 to grip the floor in the manner heretofore described.

ladder. As shown, see Figs. 1 and 2, the legs 16, 18 and,

20 are tapered inwardly from the upper to the lower portions thereof and this construction provides substantially wide stepping areas 58, 60 and 62 at the top 22 of the base 10. It will also be seen that the area of the surface 14 of the top 12 is less than the area of the top 22 of the base 10 in order to provide clearance and facilitate stepping up or down from top 22 to the surface 14;

Referring more particularly to Fig. 2, it will be seen that the upper step 14 is shaped as a trefoil wherein the cusps 64 thereof are positioned midway between adjacent pairs of supporting legs 16, 18 and 20. With such a construction, the area of the step 14 is ample for both feet of the user and the positioning of the cusps 64 is such as to provide ample clearance for the toe of the user when stepping up to the surface 14 or down to one of the areas 58, 60 or 62.

A further feature of the invention resides in the location of the three casters 34. As shown, these are positioned beneath the legs 16, 18 and 20 on the top 12, and preferably in vertical alignment therewith. It has been found in practice that with such an arrangement, a relatively slight pressure, such as would result when the users foot were placed on one of the stepping areas 58, 60 or 62, would .collapse the casters beneath the two legs on either side of the selected stepping area and bring a substantial portion of the base bumper 26 into frictional engagement with the floor. This feature ensures that the structure will remain stationary when in use as a la'tented Oct. 11, 1960 step. As the load on the stepping area is increased, the third caster would collapse whereupon the entire portion of the base bumper would frietionally engage the floor.

The operation of the combined step and stool will be readily un'de'rstoodfror'nj the foregoing'description. Un der no-load conditions', the structure may be readily rolled from place to place by merely applying the toe to the bumper 32 and giving a slight push. When used as a seat, the Weight of the user collapses the casters 34 whereupon the base bumper 2 6 frictionally engages the floor to anchor the device in'position. When it is desired to use the deviceyas a step, it is only necessary to roll it to the desired positionand step on any of the stepping areas 58, 60 or 62 to collapse the two casters on opposite sides of the selected stepping area to frictionally anchor'the structure to th'efloor through contact of substantialvportion of the base bumper with the floor. With the device thus anchored, it is only necessary to step from theselected stepping area to the top surface 14. During the increase in loading of the base member, during this operatiointhe third caster will collapse as heretofore described.

While one form of the invention has been'shown and described herein with considerableparticularly, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various modifications may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention. Reference will therefore be had to the appended claims for a definition of the limits of the invention.

What is claimed is:

11. A combined step and stool comprising a hollow frusto-conical base having a fiat top and a floor-engaging bumper secured to the lower peripheral rim thereof, a member having a flat top of less area than the top of the base, and provided with three equally-spaced supporting legs, each of said legs having side edges converging toward each other from the upper to the lower portions thereof and the lower portions being secured to the top of the base, the top of the member being shaped as a trefoil with the respective cusps thereof being positioned midway between adjacent pairs of supporting legs, and three equally spaced collapsible casters secured to the inner surface of the rim of the base for rollably supporting the base and member under no-load conditions and collapsible under the application of a relatively slight pressure to the base or member to allow said bumper to engage the floor, said casters being respectively positioned in vertical alignment with said supporting legs.

-2. A combined step and stool comprising a hollow frusto-conical base having a flat top and a floor-engaging bumper secured to the lower peripheral rim thereof, a member having a flat top of less area than the top of the base, and provided with three equally-spaced supporting legs, each of said legs having side edges converging toward each other from the upper to the lower portions thereof and the lower portions being secured to the top of the base, the top of the member being shaped as a trefoil with the respective cusps thereof being positioned midway between adjacent pairs of supporting legs, and three equally spaced collapsible casters secured to the inner surface of the rim of the base for rollably supporting the base and member under no-load conditions and collapsible under the application of a relatively slight pressure to the base or member to allow said bumper to engage the floor.

3. A combined step and stool comprising a hollow frusto-conical base having 'a flat top and a floor-engaging bumper secured to the lower peripheral rim thereof, a member having a flat top of less area than the top of the base, and provided with three equally-spaced supporting legs, each of said legs having side edges converging toward each other from the upper to the lower portions thereof and the lower portions being secured to the top of the base, the top of the member being shaped as a trefoil with the respective cusps thereof being positioned midway between adjacent pairs of supporting legs, and a plurality of collapsible casters secured to the inner surface of the rim of the base for rollably supporting the base and member under no-load conditions and 'col-' frusto-conical base having a fiat top and a floor-engaging bumper secured to the lower peripheral rim thereof,fa member having a fiat 'top of lessarea than the top of the base, and provided with a plurality of equally-spaced supporting legs, each of said legs having side edges converging toward each other from the upper to the lower portions thereof and the lower portions being secured to the top of the base, the top of 'the member being provided with cut-away portions intermediate each pair'of adjacent legs, and a plurality of collapsible casters secured to the base for rollably supporting the base and member under no-load conditions and collapsible under the application of a relatively slight pressure to the base or member to allow said bumper to engage the floor, said casters being respectively positioned in vertical alignment with said supporting legs.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES; PATENTS 1,447,145 Morell Feb. 27, 1923 1,759,424 Strauss May 20, 1930 1,788,391 Green Jan. 13, 1931 1,870,309 Cummiskey Aug. 9, 1932 1,933,602 Scherer Nov. 7,1933 2,176,551 Solern Oct. 17, 1939 2,613,389 Cramer Oct. 14, 1952 2,665,742 Starysky Jan. 12, 1954 

